Chapter 511 — Posing a Deafening Question
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
He was the Holy Cult Leader, charged with the weighty duty of passing on the leadership; the transmission of the scriptures upon the stone still depended on him to hand them to the next cult leader. Kill him, and the Dark Demon Cult was finished. Shen Mu said gravely, "Just now this junior was rude. I only chafed that you elders would use wrong and outdated rules to bind those who come after, and so I gave offense.
I beg the pardon of every past leader of the Holy Cult. " The faces of the successive leaders all eased. Cult Leader Zuyang hurried to raise him to his feet, smiling. "Young Cult Leader Shen has achieved what none of us achieved, and for that we admire you without end.
Among all the past leaders, even if you cannot rank in the top three, you may rank in the top five. They say that after death all things are void; a trifling spat—do you think we would take it to heart?
" Cult Leader Hu Jun laughed. "Beyond admiring your cultivation, what worries us more is that when you go back, you might not let the followers burn paper money and make offerings to us on the festivals! " "Exactly, exactly!
" The others laughed. "We have no wish to become like those poor wretches of the Human Emperor Hall, with not a soul to burn paper for them! " "The present Human Emperor of the Human Emperor Hall is truly good for nothing—not so much as a stick of incense or a sheet of paper offered on the festivals. Look at him: as splendid as the Human Emperors of the Hall were in life, so wretched are they now.
Not like us—splendid in life, and splendid after death! " Everyone roared with laughter. The young patriarch laughed along for a few moments, then suddenly remembered Shen Mu and stole a glance at him. Shen Mu gave a few dry laughs as well. A mercy that he had no face and no skin now; otherwise he would surely have flushed crimson. None of the past leaders of the Dark Demon Cult knew that his other identity was the present Human Emperor, and that the reason the past Human Emperors of the Hall were so wretched was precisely that he, the Human Emperor, had never gone to burn paper or incense for them.
"When I return to Jingping, I must make a trip to the Human Emperor Hall and let the past Human Emperors live in comfort—they must not be so poor! " he resolved silently. "Cult Leader Shen.
" The young patriarch's face turned serious.
"You have come to see me. So when you return to the world of the living, what do you mean to do?
" The laughter died away. Everyone looked to him, waiting to see how he would answer. Shen Mu considered for a moment, then smiled. "When I return to Jingping, the first thing I will do is open roads.
" "Open roads first? " The young patriarch frowned.
"Roads and traffic do serve the people, but they cost a great deal of money. Jingping has been through several great wars; its treasury is empty.
If you have the people's livelihood at heart, why open roads first? Jingping's roads were already well developed. To open more roads now is to waste the people's strength and drain their wealth.
" Shen Mu said with spirit, "Because I have already pacified the Western Lands! " The young patriarch was shaken to the core. "You led an army and took the Western Lands?
How many troops did you bring?
The Western Lands are vast—how did you conquer them? " The other past leaders were shaken as well, unable to believe it.
"One man—myself—with the Dragon Qilin and Xiong Qi'er.
I pacified the Western Lands. " Shen Mu smiled faintly.
"The Western Lands are now joined to Jingping.
But the Western Lands lie a hundred thousand li from the Central Lands. As they say, the whip cannot reach, and heaven is high and the emperor far away. Right now the roads between the Central Lands and the Western Lands are cut. For a short while the Western Lands may keep the peace, but given time, they will surely rise in disorder. What I want to do is open communication between the Western Lands and the Central Lands!